NCAA Basketball: Preview of the 2018-19 Big 12/SEC Challenge

LAWRENCE, KANSAS - JANUARY 21: K.J. Lawson #13 of the Kansas Jayhawks controls the ball as Talen Horton-Tucker #11 and Nick Weiler-Babb #1 of the Iowa State Cyclones defend during the game at Allen Fieldhouse on January 21, 2019 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

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AUSTIN, TX – DECEMBER 9: Matt Coleman III #2 of the Texas Longhorns drives against the Purdue Boilermakers at the Frank Erwin Center on December 9, 2018 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images) /

Texas vs Georgia

Likely the most uninteresting matchup of the day, a pair of underwhelming teams will face off in Texas and Georgia.

If you’re into underachieving coaches, it’ll be Shaka Smart against Tom Crean. Crean is safe in his first season at Georgia, but Smart is on the hot seat, and certainly needs a win.

Texas sits on the bubble, and has been the most inconsistent team in the Big 12. Kerwin Roach has done a decent job of stepping up in a primary scoring role, but it hasn’t amounted to much for the Longhorns, who find themselves in a must-win situation.

Meanwhile in Athens, the Bulldogs are limping towards the finish line in Crean’s first season. Georgia is led by forward Nicolas Claxton, who is averaging ten rebounds per game. Against a thin Texas front court, Claxton should have a nice game in a solid under-the-radar season.

While this might not be the most exciting game, it surely will be closely-contested. Texas and Georgia match up pretty evenly on paper, and even though Texas is the better team, I would give Georgia the edge.

Home court advantage, little momentum on the Texas side, and besides, I really don’t trust Shaka Smart in a must-win game. This Texas team is really inexperienced, and it shows at times. That show will go on against Georgia on Saturday.

Prediction: Georgia 58, Texas 52

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